I have finished reading Anna Karenina. I will always be grateful that Josie suggested this tea book club, because I don’t know if I ever would have gotten around to reading it. It was on my to-read list, but for some reason, I thought it would be less enjoyable than I found it to be. I loved it. There is plenty of time to read it, so don’t rush, and newcomers feel free to join in!

Hi there, I just sent you a message and you can message me back if you’d like. I have the caffeine free sample of a tisane that I thought would pair nicely with this book, and Josie Jade has the official The Republic of Tea’s Anna Karenina blend of roses and smoky black tea. TRoT blend I chose is rooibos based and has flavors of chocolate and strawberry.

I’m 60% through but slowing down a bit. There’s just a lot that I get bogged down with, (I.e. Levin and his philosophies) that I feel like I’ll have to start skimming some of it if I ever hope to finish.

I love how in literature of that era the author can just go OFF and spout all this opinion stuff, weather it is about religion, philosophy, etc—! That so would not fly in contemporary fiction! And I know, at a few points, I was like, Levin, Levin, enough already, c’mon Tolstoy, move it ALONG, sir!!

I just joined Steepster today and instead of checking out info on tea, was immediately drawn to the reading club. I remember loving Anna Karenina when I first read it …( er? thirty years ago?) And I just got a Kindle for Christmas! Can I still join the club? Please? I promise to read really fast!

I was hoping to make it through the whole book without charging my kindle. :P It just died yesterday when I was 60% through. Oh well! :P

I better pick up the pace if I plan to finish on time, but I did sample the Anna Karenina tea and really enjoyed it. I notice there’s only one review for it. Are we waiting until the 25th to post tea reviews too?

Anna Karenina tea reviews on Amazon repeatedly mention the intense smokiness. I once tasted a tea in a tea house that was described as such and hated it – it made me think of how long-used car tires must taste! So I was hesitant before ordering a whole tin of that tea – I wonder if you guys would still have an extra tea bag? I ordered rose buds, though, to be used in future custom mixings and another kind of rose-flavored tea and I will be happy to share some of them when they arrive.

I seem to be obsessed with rose buds and petals ever since I joined this Club! I unearthed a white tea with rose petals that I brought back from Poland (my native country, where hot black tea seems to be our national drink) last year and somehow never opened – now I can’t stop drinking the darn thing! But among the ingredients some flavors are mentioned, and rose buds alone might not be enough to get that taste, especially with black tea that I intend to use first.
Have you guys ever added your own flavorings to tea? Any success? I once bought some fragrant oils at Marshalls with no clear purpose for them, I wonder if they might come in handy now.
No need to mention that all this is seriously detracting me from the book!!!

TeaRunner, I have never tried mixing my own flavors to tea, but I would suggest using a bit of rose water to make your tea taste more like the rose you are enjoying. I use rose water in desserts, but I’ve never tried it in tea. It’s just a thought.

I still have a ton of the Czar Nicholas II “St Valentine’s Tea”, which I ordered to enjoy with the book as well. The package was 8.8 oz, which is a ridiculous amount of tea! It’s very heady with roses, fruit, & black tea. If anyone wants some, please let me know, I’d gladly share it.

The truth is, I haven’t drank any of the teas while reading the book, as I usually save my reading for in bed. At that point of the day, I don’t want any caffeine, or any fluids, for that matter.

I want to, but I just have so much going on the rest of this month, I hate having to rush through things and would really want to participate in the discussion on the 25th, but by the time I got the book anyway I’m not sure I’d be done with it by then. I’ll be looking forward to the next one for sure!

How is everybody doing with the book?
At 30 % a week before the deadline I executed a reality check and experienced a moment of profound insight when a (harsh!) voice said to me, “Who are you kidding?” and I therefore immediately switched to emergency mode – I am basically reading the book on Kindle, but I also borrowed the book on CDs from the library so I listen as I drive to/from work and keep the Literature Project version open on the computer at work (fingers on Alt+Tab) for those slower moments. It takes a little time finding my place when I switch between different media, but is totally worth it! Am I in the realm of obsessive-compulsive?

I am sipping the Republic of Tea AK blend right now. I did not think I would like it as much as I do, it is very mild…I only brewed for 2 min. I was worried about the level of smoke in the tea. The rose petals seem to add a creaminess to the tea, is that possible? My next tasting, I will add milk and sugar and perhaps brew for 3 minutes to compare.

If you’d like, Josie Jade & I have a Penguin reading group guide, with some background information and some questions to spark discussion. We can post that and take it question by question, or however everyone would like to go about it.

Ahhhh, just finished the book after getting hooked on it and reading non-stop for the past 2 days. The last 300 pages of the book sucked me right in, finally! So ready to discuss this book (and tea!) so soon! Enjoy, fellow readers who are still reading. :)